Jose Mourinho controversially dropped the Blancos captain for the 3-2 defeat by Malaga, citing the move to play Antonio Adan as a "purely technical decision" amidst widespread criticism from club officials and supporters.

Although the former USSR intermational admits the decision to leave out the Spain icon came as a shock, he feels the number of matches he has played over recent seasons could perhaps be taking its toll on the player.

The 55-year-old told AS: "Of course it was a surprise. Casillas is a very good goalkeeper.

"Maybe [he is] a bit tired after playing so many club and international games in the past few seasons. The Spanish league, the Champions League, the World Cup, the European Championships - that's a lot of tournaments."